In MY mind, this is a record of the pre-build, build and (hopefully) life aboard the good ship 'Ellis' (yes I know - she's a boat not a ship!)
For More information about Narrowboat live-aboard hotel experiences, please visit the website: narrowboatellis.com

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Thursday, 20 April 2017

Blooming bored with painting...

Every visit to the boat this week has felt like 'Ground-hog day' - I get there after work... natter a bit with old Mick/Morag/Mark/Joan/Barry/Ken or whoever and once the kettle has boiled, begin rubbing down and or undercoating.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased to have finished priming but boy is it boring - AS are the comments of passers by. ONE chap the other evening stopped his car and shouted in the broadest south Yorkshire accent "If thow puts any more paint on that chuffing boat, it'll **ing sink" - MOST helpful!

I've ditched rollers now in favour of a decent brush - only 3 inches mind and although it's still only undercoat, it's not going on badly (if a little slower) at all. The port side now has 2 decent undercoats on top of the 5 primers and is ready for some top coats - WHICH I'm picking up this morning when I call in to collect some other stuff for work. £180 for 4 tins of paint feels a bit steep but it's a nice hard wearing polyurethane 1 pack we use at work. BEFORE then however, the starboard side needs 1 more undercoat and then on to the roof (again)... and those brilliant (but a pain in the arse to remove) solar panels.

Tonight however, it's time to visit the engine hole and give it a bit of a spring clean in preparation for Saturday's BSS man. I've bought some 'basics' nappies to mop up the water that got in through the leaking gates on last weekends trip so by close of play tonight it will be all clean and dry in there again.

I've also fitted another shelf into a wardrobe to shut Andy up please Andy and tomorrow night, I'll remove everything that makes the place look cluttered into plastic boxes... JUST until the BSS man has been when I'll chuck it all back where it's useful lol.

Oddly, I don't seem to have taken any photos this week - I suppose paint drying really IS boring!

Did I mention I found a couple of really bright 12v Led lights on ebay the other day

I've fitted one next to the existing tunnel light (connected up to the outside light wiring switch) and when I tested it the other night it was brilliant. So much so, that I might fit the other one on the other side to look more symmetrical and help with tunnel vision... I really do hate tunnels as they sort of "'suck me in"... at least being able to have a light pointing at the roof and walls will make them easier. Even if they don't get used very often, they'll provide backup in the event of main tunnel light failure - which of course will happen JUST when you need it.

1 comment:

After years of doing without I find that having a light at the back that lights up the length of the boat is actually better than any at the front, when going through tunnels. It is all very well lighting up that low roof at the front but you have forgotten by the time it reaches your head and you have to duck! Kath nb.bobcat